Insole structure



H. ALBERTS.

INSOLE STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1916,

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

HENRY .ALBERTS, or rxmn, nassacnusn'rrs.

msoLE STRUCTURE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ALBERTS, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Insole Structures, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingsheet of drawing, is a specification.

This invention has for its object the production of a reinforcedsemi-flexible insole for shoes, and is specially provided with areinforcing element in the forepart thereof which permits the same to beflexible lengthwise at the ball of the foot where flexibility isrequired, and at the same time stifi'ens that portion of the insoleagainst bein flexible crosswise ;it being a known fact in the trade,that the ordinary types of flexible insoles, which are flexiblecrosswise as well as lengthwise at the ball portion thereof, are verytroublesome to handle and manipulate in the manufacture of shoescontaining same, especially in the so-called McKay shoes, Where theupper is pulled over the edge of the ins ole and secured thereto bytemporary means (as by tacks for example). The pulling over of the edgeof the upper on the flexible ball part of the ordinary flexible insole,causes the same to pufl u'p, wrinkle, and to become otherwisedistorted,-because of the fact that the same is made up withoutstiffening crosswise, to resist the pressure applied thereto in thepulling over of the upper thereon. Again, more or less trouble isencountered'in using the ordinary types of flexible insoles because theedges thereof are too delicate and weak te hold and. clench the tacksused for holding the upper edges secured thereto in the McKay shoes.

To provide an insolewhich has body thereto to overcome the aforesaidobjectionable features found common in the ordinary, t pes of flexibleinsoles, which will permit exibility lengthwise and resist flexibihtycrosswise, and which may be manufactured at the lowest cost, is theobject of my invention. 3 s To these as wellas other ends, my inventionconsists of'the novel features of eonstruction, combination andarrangement of parts described in the following specification, andparticularly pointed out in the sub-' joined clauns.

I I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 3, 1916. Serial No. 107,399.

Patented Aug. Mi, 1917..

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 represents a plan view of the 1nso leembodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a sectional view taken on line 2-2 in Fig.1.

Fig. 3 represents a section taken on line 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. lrepresentsa plan view of the slitted reinforcing and stiffeninmember, having a toe part made integral t erewith.

Fig. represents the same view as Fig. 4, but indicates the use of aseparate toe partand an intermediate slitted reinforcing and stiffeningmember.

Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of a flexible insole of my type,showing the same supplied with the toe-type of reinforcing andstiffening member.

Fig. 7 represents the same view as Fig. 6, but shows an intermediatetype of reinforcing and stiffening member, similar to that shown in Fig.5.

Fig.- 8 represents a modified view of: a part of the forepart of aninsole, showing the same made up of but two layersthe upper layer beingan ordinary layer of flexible material, and the lower layer being aslitted layer of stiffening material.

' Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of thedrawing.

The numeral 1 represents a stiffening shank-piece which may leather ofanydesired degree of stiffness, or other suitable material, forming theheel 2 and preferably the arch 3 which terminates at 4 toward the ballof the foot. 5 in its entirety, represents the ball portion or forepartof the insole, having the toe-portion 6 and the engaging end 7 which isglued, stitched, or otherwise suitably secured to the end 4: of theshank-piece 1,the joining ends of the shank-piece 1 and the ball portionor forepart 5 of the insole being preferably skived and glued, stitched,or otherwise suitably secured and united together to form a completeunit sole. p

8 represents an upper layer of the ball portionor forepart'of theinsole, which may be made up of felt, fabric,

any other suitable flexible material (preferably the latter) 9represents the lower layer of the ball portion or forepart of the insolewhich is similar in shape to that of the upper layer 8 and which J bemade of solo upper leather, or

may also be made of fabric, canvass,

. upon buckram, felt, or other which may upper leather, felt, or othersuitable flexible material (preferably fabric). Between the layers 8 and9 of the insole is inserted the slitted-stiffening-member 10 which isprovided with a series of crosswise slits 11, which are preferably outcompletely through, with the ends 12 thereof terminating at anappreciable distance from the edge of the stiffening-member 10, asindicated in Fig. 5. The slitted-stifleningmember 10 (Figs. 5 and 7 mayterminate at 13, instead of reaching to the tip of the toe of the insolefor including the integral toe-piece 14, as shown in Fig. 1,saidslitted-stifiz'ening-member 10 being made of buckram, or other fabric,leather, felt, or any other suitable stiffening material. 15 representsa separate stiffening-toepiece which may be used with the toeless typeof slitted-stiffening-member 10, shown in-Figs. 5 and 7, and may be madeof any suitable stiffening material, such as buckram, leather, fiber,etc., said stiffening toe-piece 15 beingalso preferably used inconnection with the integral toe type of slitted stiffening-member 10,shown in Figs. 4 and 6, as indicated by 15,stiflened leather being themost practicable, however, since the steaming process employed inshaping and setting the toe-cap of the upper of the shoe, when the sameis first stretched over the last, usually aifects the toe-portion of theinsole and softens the same, especially when relying such material fortoo stiffening purposes. The steaming process is often found to weakenthe toeportion of the insole of flexible insoles, and even damages thesame to a degree where it becomes useless. For that reason, I propose topreferably use a stiffening-toe-member which will not readily beafiected by said steaming process; and suggest, when using the integraltoe type of reinforcing and slitted-stifi'ening-member 10 shown in Figs.4 and 6, (when the same is made of buckram, felt, or the like) to employalong with the same an auxiliary stiflening-toe-piece as 15,

be made of stiff leather for overcoming the effect produced by thesteaming process, when relying upon buckram, fabric, or the like,-itbeing understood, however, that the slitted stiffening-member 10 may bemade of leather with an appreciable degree of stifiness, which, byvirtue of the slits 11 cut therein, produces the lengthwise flexibilityfor the forepart that is necessary, in which event, no extrastiffening-toe-piece 15 will be required to be incorporated in the1nsole.

The slitted-stiffening-member'10 with the toe-stifl'ening-piece 15 or 15are sandwiched inbetween the upper layer 8 and the lower layer 9 of theforepart, and are secured in place therewith by any suitable means, asby stitching or by the use of adhesives (preftion with the two-plyerably the latter) the adjacent surfaces it being understood that of theupper and lower layers of the forepart may be gummed or cemented, orotherwise suitably treated, if desired, for securing the reinforcingelement in working position therewith.

It may be observed that while I have shown the ball portion or forepartof the insole using the reinforcing slitted-member sandwiched between anupper and lower flexible forepart layer, I do not wishto be limitedagainst using a ball portion orforepart for the insole in which ballportion of the insole and is covered by and secured to a flexible layerwhich makes up the upper ply of the ball portion, as,

shown in Fig. 8; thus furnishing a two-ply ball portion for the insoleinstead of the three-ply shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

It may further be observed, in connectype of ball portion, indicated inFig. 8, that if desired, the slitted layer may be made of buckram, orother suitable stiffening material, and reinforced at the toe-portionthereof with a stiffened toe-piece between same and the upper layer in asimilar manner to that indicated in Fig. 6.

It may also be observed that according .to

the slitted-stiifening-element makes up the lower-ply of the the degreeof stiffness of the stiifening-member 10, the slits 11 may be spaced tosuit conditions; and also that, depending upon the degree of stiffnessof said stiffening-member, the slits 11 may becut and made of anydesired width necessary (from the width of a knife cut up) to provideample flexibility for the same.

While the preferred embodiments of my invention have been described indetail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to theparticular construction set forth, since various changes in the form,material, proportions, and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention, or destroying any of the advanta es contained inthe same,-heretofore descri ed and defined in the subjoined claims.

What I. claim is:

1. An insole comprising a relatively stiff heel and shank sectionterminating in the rear'of the ball line; a forepart of materialinherently more flexible than that of the heel and shank section, andsecured to the forward end thereof; and a layer of reinforcing materialunder the forepart, transversely slitted adj acentthe ball line andunslitted at the toe portion, the slits terminating short of the sidesof the insole, and the reinforcing layer being secured throughout itsarea to the forepart.

2. An insole comprising a relatively stifi heel and shank sectionterminating in the rear of the ball line, a forepart of material part,adapted to sandwich said reinforcing inherently more flexible than thatof the heel layer with said forepart, being adhesively and shank sectionand secured to the forsecured to said reinforcing layer throughout Wardend thereof, a layer of reinforcing maits area and joined to the underside of said terial under the forepart, transversely slitheel and shanksections at theforward end ted adjacent the ball line and unslitted atthereof. a

the toe portion, the slits terminating short of the sides of the insole,and the reinforcing HENRY ALBERTS' layer being secured throughout itsarea to Witnesses: the forepart, and a covering layer of flexi- B. H.OHESTOK, ble material similar in shape to said fore- R. LICHTENSTEIN.

